GuyYouMetOnline

Just a heads-up: I'll be joining this RPG at the start of the next chapter. My sign-up is up in the Adventure Inn thread.

Like Aaryanna, my character will arrive at the start of the next chapter. [color=gray]Name: Treana Selmokar[/color] [color=#808080]Age: 23[/color] [color=#808080]Gender: Female[/color] [color=#808080]Biography: Treana had always preferred to be by herself. She never socialized very much, instead being involved in her own pursuits. Even at school, she didn't play with the other children. She was always off by herself. Often she was studing, or reading, or other things, but she was always doing it alone. She would work with others, but only when necessary, and she never saidanything more than she had to.[/color] [color=#808080]As she reached adulthood, Treana had her first telepathic experiences. She began working with the ability, learning to control it. She started experimenting with it, seeing just how far she could push it. It was durring one of these experiments that... well, that something happened. Treana hadn't intended for it to happen, but once she realized just what was happening, she made no effort to stop it. She realized that it would have certain advantages, and even if it wouldn't have, she'd probably have let it happen anyways, just because she was curious about what it would be like.[/color] [color=#808080][/color] [color=#808080]What had happened was a duplication of Treana's mental self. In other words, there were now two of her in one body. Only one self can be in control of the body at a time, but they can switch which one's in control. Her two selves aren't completely identical, but they're extremely similar. After all, they are the same person. Treana began trying to determine exactly what had caused this mental duplication, but she has yet to figure it out.[/color] [color=gray][/color] [color=gray]Eventually, Treana picked up thoughts of a place called Esper Hall in the minds of a few people. She learned that it was basicaly a community for espers, people with abilities like hers. She thought that it would be an ideal place for her to learn about and develop her abilities, so she gathered her belongings and tracked down the Esper Hall bus.[/color] [color=gray][/color] [color=gray]Powers: Treana's telepathic abilities are well-developed, considering that she started with basically no information or information resources on the subject (no reliable ones, at least). She can get through simpler mental shields, and create a decent shield around her own mind.[/color] [color=gray][/color] [color=gray]Treana's dual selves afford her an advantage, as each self has the same abilities. So she can essentially double her abilities by her two selves working in tandem. This is useful in getting through mental shields, as one self can attack first, followed by the sudden intrusion of the second self attacking on a second front. It's useful for defense, as well; if someone's starting to break her mental shield, one self can maintain the shield alone while the other raises another mental barrier. Not even this will keep a skilled telepath out indefinitely, but it does give the skilled telepath a much harder time. And when the telepath does gain access, he/she still may not get anything useful out of Treana's mind. Her dual selves give her something of a natural telepathic defense; it's not easy for an intruding telepath to make sense of the dual selves, especially when the telepath doesn't know to expect it. And even when this is known, it can still be hard to make sense of what's found in Treana's mind.[/color] [color=#808080][/color] [color=#808080]Affinity: Homosexual[/color] [color=#808080][/color] [color=#808080]Other: Treana often seems to use 'I' and 'we' interchangably. She uses 'I' when referring to the specific self that's speaking. She uses 'we' when referring to herself as a whole. I realize this may be confusing to write, so don't worry about it. Just remember that she usually uses 'we' more often that 'I'.[/color] [color=#808080][/color] [color=#808080]When I post, I'll use different colors to indicate which self is in control, speaking or thinking. [/color][color=royalblue]This color[/color][color=gray]is for one self, and [/color][color=seagreen]this color[/color][color=gray] is for the other self. Speach or thoughts from a self will be in that self's color, as will actions taken while that self is in control of the body. If it ever gets too confusing, please tell me and I'll try to make it clearer.[/color]

And here's a related question: are we allowed to use the new evolutions from Diamond/Pearl? Because there are quite a few new Pokemon in those games that are evolved from G/S/C Pokemon.

[color=darkslateblue]Soete hadn't known anything.Elos was simmply a friend of his. Elos had wanted somewhere safe to stay until things setled down. Sure, there wasn't much violence in sector 1 yet, but Elos had said that he didn't expect that to stay true for much longer. So Soete had agreed to take him in for a while. He hadn't known that Elos was involved in a kidnapping.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Elos was out at the moment, so Kiva and Daego returned to the [i]Transcendence[/i]. There, they found Jared's message regarding the actions of Andris Raster. He'd placed a hold on the terminal so Kiva could take a look at it if necessary, but she didn't need to. She'd asked Soete about recent visitors, and Andris Raster had been one of them. He'd come as a business associate, but it would have been easy for him to make contact with Elos.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"It doesn't look like Elos is much more involved than Loe," Kiva said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Yeah, I think he just did this for money. I've checked his records. He was in pretty poor shape financially, so I'm betting he agreed to help in the kidnapping just because he desperately needed the money. Still, he, unlike Loe, knew what was happening. Loe's fully innocent; he didn't even know why Elos wanted the elevator moved. Elos knew he was aiding a kidnapping."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"True. All right, then. We now know one of the main players here. Andris has undoubtedly made contact with Blaine. Okay, I'm going to access full surveilance records and track Andris's movements after the kidnapping. That should lead us to Blaine's location, or at least to someone who can lead us to Blaine."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva was right. She accessed surveilance records using Erica's personal code. With the Council under house arrest, she didn't know how cooperative local authorities would be in allowing an Elite Specialist access, so she decided not to chance anything. And with surveilance records, she was able to track Andris until he went underground to what had to be Blaine's hideout.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Daego, contact Jared," Kiva said. "Tell him we have Blaine's likely location and are ready to move in. Give him the location and tell him to meet us there in, say, one hour with an assult team. There's no telling how well defended the place is, so we take no chances. Also, tell Jared to order Elos' arrest. Then we get our gear on. Full armor. We take no chances. Blaine will not get away."[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]Loe Kramen hadn't[/color][color=darkslateblue] been very helpful. Kiva'd been right; he had simply been told to send the elevator to the roof when given the signal. He did, however, know who had him do it. It was a man named Elos, a good friend of Loe's. Loe didn't know why Elos had wanted the elevator raised, but he thought he could trust his friend. He didn't even ask for any money; he was just doing his friend a favor.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Loe didn't have any other information, so Kiva left him to his work. She acessed records to see where Elos lived, then went to the man's house to question him. When nobody answered the door, she just hacked her way through the electronic lock and opened it herself. The house was empty, and after examing it thuroughly, she determined that it'd been a couple days since anyone had been in the place.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva accessed the house's computer system, easily getting through its light security. She was looking for any clues to where Elos went, and it didn't take long for her to find what she wanted. In fact, she found it too many times. He'd paid for several seperate trips, all of which overlapped. Obviously, he didn't go to all those places; it was clearly meant to make him harder to track.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]It wasn't too hard for Kiva to sort through the distractions and find something useful. Regulations required [/color][color=darkslateblue]doccumentation for any transportation, even when it was paid for by someone else. So Elos had kept a record indicating that he'd been transported to a location on the home planet. It was a private estate belonging to a man Elos was friends with. This man was Soete Telmerak, who just so happened to be a business associate of Blaine Uratak.[/color] [color=darkslateblue][/color] [color=darkslateblue]Kiva contacted Daego immediately. "I'm uploading some information," she said. "I want it sent to Jared. These are reservations Elos made, and though I doubt he's actually at any of these locations, it's probably a good idea to check them out anyways. So get the information to Jared. I just want to take one more look around this house, then I'll come back up. Get ready, because we might meet some resistance where we're going. We'll be paying a visit to Soete Telmerak."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] ---------------------------------------------------- OOC: Sorry it's so short. I was busy today. I'll have a longer post next time.

[color=darkslateblue]"Well, here's a surprise for you," Daego said. "I didn't have to get authorization to access the personal records. Erica's personal code is still in the system. It hasn't been removed yet."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Really?" Kiva said. "Well, I suppose that's understandable. Procedure would be to have it removed from the system immediately, but given the circumstances, I can understand how that could be forgotten."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Should I contact Stevens?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I don't think he's the one who'd remove the code, but he is the one we know the location of. Yes, contact Stevens, but not to get the code removed. At the moment, it's better to keep the code in the system. See, the team investigating the High Council will most likely need to access private Council information, and it's unlikely that any of the councilors will provide their personal codes. But we already have Erica's, so if we give it to Stevens, he can get it to the investigation team. It won't get them into private databases, but it'll work just fine for Council systems."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Smart thinking," Daego said. He contacted the [i]Creator[/i] with a priority message for Stevens. The Fleet Admiral responded quickly.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Ah, Kiva," Stevens said. "What is it?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"We've discovered something you should know about," Kiva said. "It doesn't relate to the investigation, but it's important anyways. We've discovered that Erica's personal code hasn't been removed from the system. I know you're not the person who'd do that, but you're the one we knew the location of, and I assume you can get the information to the proper individual."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes, I can do that. I guess that with all the confusion, Erica's code was just forgotten. I'll be sure to get it removed."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Don't," Kiva said. "Right now, it's better to keep it in the system. I'm sending it to you right now. Get it to the team conducting the investigation for the High Council. They can use it to access Council computer systems."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good point," Stevens said. "All right, I'll do that. We'll keep Erica's code in the system until the investigation is complete. Will there be anything else?" [/color][color=#483d8b]There wasn't so Kiva said so and terminated communications. Almost at that exact moment, two messages were received. One was from Jared, describing his conversation with William.The other was from Crystal, detailing what accomidations would be necessary for Erica.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You take care of the stuff for Erica," Kiva said to Daego. "I'm going down to take a look at that elevator."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You can't do it from here?" Daego said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Nope. Most elevators, including the one I'll be looking at, have no long-range capability. You don't have to be in the elevator to access it, but you do need a terminal that's not too far away. If you're hardwired in to it, it's possible to work from a greater distance, but still not too far away, simply because of the limitations of being hardwired. So I'll have to go down there."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You should probably wear at least light body armor. Things down there are pretty crazy, and though nothing too bad's happened on the campus yet, that doesn't mean nothing will happen."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah, I know. I actually plan to wear standard body armor, not just light armor. Anyways, I'm going to got put the armor on, then I'm heading down there."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]There was obvious tension on the campus, and things could very well turn violent at some point, but for now, any hostility was purely verbal. Kiva had a few remarks directed at her, but she just ignored them. If anyone tried anything against her, she'd take action, but verbal abuse was nothing to worry about.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]The elevator had been shut down as ordered, so it wasn't in use when Kiva arrived. She entered the elevator and hooked her handheld up to it. The elevator contained an access record, from which Kiva could determine where the remte command had originated from.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Most elevators could be controled from a seperate computer by entering the proper code. This was intended for use in emergencies, where if the elevator control was left as normal it wouldn't get anywhere. Smoeone had entered the code and taken control of the elevator, sending it to the roof and holding it there until Kerstin and Daniel had been taken. Whoever had done so had covered his/her tracks well, but Kiva was still able to trace the command back to its origin.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Knowing which computer terminal the command had originated from, Kiva left the elevator and made her way to the campus's security center. She was, of course, allowed entry immediately; even with all the confusion and the Council under house arrest, the campus security personell weren't going to refuse an Elite Specialist. In the security center, Kiva accessed security recordings of the room where the computer terminal she'd identified was. By viewing the recording, she saw who was using that terminal at the time the command was sent. The image wasn't detailed enough for Kiva to see what was on the man's screen, but with a little work, she was able to use the campus's records to identify the man. Upon doing so, she contacted Daego.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I've identified the man who hijacked the elevator," Kiva said. "His name is Loe Kramen, and he's with computer maintainance for the campus. I haven't determined how he knew when to give the command, but I suspect he was givin a signal of some kind. I'm going to question him, see what he knows. I doubt it's much; he was probably just given money in exchange for agreeing to send the elevator to the roof when given the signal. Still, he's my best lead right now. Also, Jared's conclusion in regards to Daniel is most likely correct; it was pure chance that put him and Kerstin in the elevator at the same time."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah, that's what I thought," Daego said. "Anyways, acommadations for Erica have been set up according to Crystal's specifications. I'm back to going through records."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good. Make a detailed inspection of Loe Kramen, just in case. I'll see if I can get more names when I speak with him. Kiva out."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva terminated communications, then went to fine Loe. He was on duty at the moment, so he would be on campus. Kiva would simply go to the computer maintainance office and ask for him. When he showed up, she would have a few questions for him.[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]"God damnit," Daego said. "What the hell were they thinking? Good lord, this changes everything."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I don't think it's that severe," Kiva said. She and Daego were on the bridge of the [i]Transcendence[/i], and Daego was, to put it lightly, upset. He'd held it in for the operation, but now it was coming out.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"It sure as hell is severe," Daego said. "Shit, I can't even know how many decisions this has affected."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Remember, it's only a moderate suppression. It's not like it changes who you are. And this old method seems too crude for that sort of thing, anyways. It's nothing like what they're doing in sector 14."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah, but it's still bad. There are definitely decisions this has affected. Hell, I was this close to joining the Resistance when they asked me. I thought I did it because I saw them as being too idealistic, but how do I know that this modification isn't the real reason I said no?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"So you're finally saying it," Kiva said. "I was wondering when that would come out."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You mean you knew I'd been asked to join the Resistance?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"No, but it wasn't exactly hard to guess. Your views and theirs are extremely close; it's only natural that they'd try to recruit you."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"And you never thought I was with them?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I never did. I know you too well to think that."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego was about to reply, but the 'incomming transmission' signal sounded. Kiva accepted the transmission, and saw that it was from Fleet Admiral Stevens. "Ah, Stevens. I was wondering when you'd contact us."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes. I have to admit that even though I was surprised by your arrest of Erica, I was even more purprised at the information you released. DId it ever cross your mind that this is something the High council wouldn't want released?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"That's irrelevant," Daego said. "Not even the High Council is above the law. There was nothing I could do about the banned research in sector 14, as the Resistance had already released that information and it didn't do much. This time, however, there was something Kiva and I could do, and we did it."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Besides," Kiva said, "indications are that only a very few members of the High Council actually know about this."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"True," Stevens said. "Anyways, I'm sure you've seen the actions we're taking by now."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, we know about the declaration of martial law, and about putting the High Council under house arrest, and all that stuff. We also know that not everybody is reacting calmly to this news. I imagine it's only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose. Even so, neither Daego nor I regret exposing the information."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I can understand that. And don't worry, I don't plan to take any action against you. As a matter of fact, there's something I'd like you to help me with."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I don't think involving us, or any Specialist, is a good idea. We answer only to the High Council, so involving us in this wouldn't be smart."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I know," Stevens said. "That's actually not what I had in mind. You see, shortly before your arrest of Erica, two individuals were kidnapped from the academy they both attend. We believe the kidnappings were ordered by Blaine Uratak. One of the victims is named Daniel, and it seems likely that Blaine took him as a means of getting at a wealthy merchant named William. Nothing that would necessitate millitary involvement. We would have left it to local law enforcement if it was just Daniel, but another person was taken.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"The second abductee is Kerstin Anderson. Kerstin is the sister of current shipping expert Darren Anderson. We believe that Blaine took Kerstin as a way to get at Darren. Kerstin was under millitary protection, bu Blaine's men managed to get around her security escort. Essentially, they hijacked the elevator the pair was riding in, moving it before the escort could enter. The pair was taken to the roof, where Blaine's men grabbed them.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Additionally, Blaine himself has vanished. It's likely that he knew Jared was getting close to nailing him, so when the confusion down there started, he probably decided to take advantage of the opportunity to disappear. He was under observation, of course, but he managed to elude them.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Now, thanks to your efforts, I don't exactly have many people to spare. Everyone's occupied dealing with the chaos your information has caused. So I thought I'd ask you. I can't order you to do it, of course, but I'm certainly allowed to make requests of Specialists, and since the High Council's under house arrest, I don't think you'll be getting orders from them for a while."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"That,s certainly true," Kiva said. "Yeah, we'll do it. I assume you don't have any objections, Daego?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"None," Daego said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, that's that," Kiva said to Stevens. "We'll do it. Just make sure that anyone else working on it gives us updates from time to time."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I can arrange that," Stevens said. "Oh, and one more thing. For the time being, you are to keep Erica on board the [i]Transcendence[/i]. However, due to her condition, she will need medical treatment twice a day. Commander Crystal has agreed to look after her. To do so, she'll need to transport to the [i]Transcendence[/i] twice a day."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Got it. Here, I'm sending you an access code. Daego and I might not be here when Crystal needs to come, so if we aren't, use this code to allow a transport door to be opened on this ship. Will there be anything else?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"No," Stevens said. "Let me know as son as your investigation has produced results."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Understood." She terminated communications, then turned to Daego. "Okay, first we need to check out that elevator. Get that pair's personal records. I'll want to go over them. Also, contact the academy they were taken from. Stevens forgot to give us the name, but it'll be in their records. I want the hijacked elevator shut down. Nobody is to use it until further notice. I'm going to pull up records on Blaine, see if I can get anything useful."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Got it," he said, and the pair got to work.[/color]

Okay, my post's up. Erica's been captured, and the information's out. Now, time to see how everyone's characters react to this. I'm thinking it'll be fun.

[color=darkslateblue]"Okay, Kiva, everyone's here and briefed," Daego said as he returned to the bridge. "Are you ready?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Yes, I'm ready. We'll include this program with the timeline when we make it public."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"What's it do?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, the High Council can't exactly shut down news broadcasts without looking suspicious, so to suppress the information, they'll go after the data itself. My program will detect any attempts to move or delete the file. It will alow the movement or deletion to happen, but not before copying the file. Pretty simple. The hard part is doing it so that the copy won't be noticed, but I've got it working. I'll just include this when we release the information. It'll make covering it up a lot harder. The Council could still do it, but it would be much more obvious, and probably end up being a bad move, since people would know they were doing it. Anyways, what's our plan of attack?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]"All right, people, listen up!" Kiva said to the gathered soldiers. They were all outfitted in avanced millitary body armor. While it was of course inferior to the advanced Specialist model Kiva and Daego were wearing, it was ahead of the millitary standard.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"I know you're familiar with the plan of attack," Kiva said, "but you don't yet know where we're going or just who our target is. That's because our target is a high-level individual, and we didn't want to risk tipping her off ahead of time. And to give you an idea of how important this operation is, our target has been identified as the leader of the Resistance.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Evidence suggests that our target has handed primary responsibility over to another, as she is ill and unlikly to live much longer, but getting her will still strike a significant blow against the Resistance. Unfortunately, her illness means that we probably won't get any information out of her, as interrogation would be fatal to her. Anything in her computer system can still be retrieved, though, but only if we get to the computers before our target can delete the data or destroy the computers. We cannot allow this to happen, as I have confirmed that she's keeping important information. I'd pull it out of her computers myself, but her security systems don't allow that to be done even by someone who has the access codes."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"That takes pretty high-level security," one of the soldiers said. "Just who are we going after?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Our target is Erika Kendrik. Yes, that Erica Kendrik. This, of course, is why this operation has to be kept so secret. The Resistance's leader is a member of the High Council, so there's no telling who else is with the Resistance. You've all been selected for this operation because of your demonstrated ability, but also because after investigating you, we've determined that it's likely all of your are loyal to the Empire. Anyways, now you know the objective, and you're familiar with the plan of attack, so there's really no point in delaying any longer. Double-check your gear, because we're moving out."[/color] [color=#483d8b]The operation went quite smoothly; Erica's security was taken completely off-guard, and the soldiers were in before anyone could do anything about them. Kiva and Daego found Erica in the same room where Kiva'd met with her while on her vacation.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Erica Kendrick," Kiva said. "I could hardly believe it. All this time, you've been the Resistance's leader."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Kiva," Erica said. "Why am I not surprised it's you? You've exposed more Resistance agents than anyone else in the Empire. I wondered if it would be you who found me."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"And I am indeed the one who found you. Now, you're coming with us." Kiva shot Erica on low stun. In her condition, that was enough to knock Erica unconcious, and anything too much stronger would've been fatal.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Daego, take her back to the [i]Transcendence[/i]. I'll finish things up down here. And remember, when you get the data from Erica's personal database, include my program with each copy you send out."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Got it," Daego said. He signaled for a transport door and carried Erica through it. Kiva found Erica's personal computer system, accessed it with her personal code, and uploaded the contents to the [i]Transcendence[/i]. She then declared a successful operation and signaled the troops to withdraw. She signaled for a transport door, emerging on the bridge of the [i]Transcendence[/i].[/color] [color=#483d8b]"I sent the information, Kiva," Daego said. "And yes, I remembered to include your program with each copy I sent. And for this kind of news, I'm expecting reports to go out any time now."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good. Okay, contact the High Council. Inform them of our capture of Erica. Let's see how they react to all of this."[/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva knew that Daego was right; the information they'd just released would likely be well-known within the hour. Kiva could only wonder what would happen next.[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]Since sector 1 was rather close to sector 7, getting there didn't take very long. Kiva didn't waste any time after arriving, either. As soon as she could, Kiva connected to the main planet's network. She made her way to the High Council database, which only High Councilors could access. Accessing it required the input of a HIgh Councilor's personal code, which only the Councilors knew. Hacking it was said to be impossible, as the security systems were the best the Empire had. Kiva knew that no system was impossible to hack into, but she didn't need to try.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"It's simple," Kiva said to Daego. "We've got what we think is a High Councilor's personal code, right? We can test it by trying to use it to access the Council database. If it works, we'll know that we have a High Councilor's code. In addition, we'll be able to see whose code it is just by looking at who we're logged in as."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva entered the code, double-checked it to make sure she entered it correctly, then hit 'access'. The code was accepted, and they were in. And the welcome screen displayed the name of the individual they were logged in as.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [i][color=#483d8b]"Now, this part is extremely important," Erica said."In the process of purchasing the organic material, I personally visited the individual it was bought from. Needless to say, I made sure to conceal my appearance. Anyways, while I was there, I accessed the supplier's computer system using my personal code. I wanted to see the records for the purchase, and it just so happens that since I entered my code, it can be found in the system. I did a standard delete afterwards, as well as an aditional sweep, but there should still be remnants in the system that someone with your skills can find. You'll recognize the pattern of the code, guess what it is, and then determine who it belongs to. Once you've identified it as mine, follow procedure.[/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b][/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b]"Now, if you can't piece together the complete code, you'll have to add the missing parts yourself. Of course, you'll need to know my code, so here it is." She recited her code to Kiva, then had Kiva repeat it to insure that she had it memorized.[/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b][/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b]"Good," Erica said. "Use that to add any missing pieces if you need to."[/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b][/color][/i] [i][color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Understood."[/color][/i] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Erica Kendrik," Daego said. "Damn. It had to be her, didn't it? She can't take interrogation in her condition, so we won't learn anything from her."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah," Kiva said. "She might have some useful information in her personal computer system, though. I can access that before we even go in, though if I want to do an upload, I'll need to be physically at her system. Still, let's go take a look at what's in there. After all, we need more information before we have enough to arrest someone at her level."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva made her way into Erica's personal computer system in her estate on Reflection. It's security was as good as the Council database's, but Kiva just used Erica's code to get in. And once she was in, it didn't take long for her to find what she needed. Within the system was a timeline of Erica's involvement in the Resistance. It contained plenty of information to justify aresting her, but that wasn't all that Kiva found.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You know, Daego, I've been wondering why Erica's code was still in that abandoned factory's computers," Kiva said. "She could've easily done a more thurough deletion of it. I think she wants to be exposed."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"What?" Daego said. "Why the hell would she want that?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Because in accordance with standard procedure, we are to release the incriminating evidence to the public. That means this timeline here, which hapens to contain some, um, startling revelations. Take a look.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"My god," Daego said as he read the text Kiva indicated. Text that detailed a discovery Erica had made, a discovery of something that most Councilors didn't even know. It regarded certain modifications made as part of the standard genetics package given to everyone. These modifications were made to everyone except High Councilors and their immediate families, and they concerned banned research.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Mind-alteration research had been banned over a thousand years ago. At that time, methods for minor alterations had been developed and implemented. The implemented changes were known about by only a few High Councilors, and even when the research was banned, they weren't removed. For over a thousand years, this modification had been supressing a specific personality trait: caring about other races. The reason very few people objected to the conquering of lesser races was because such objections were suppressed by an illegat genetic modification. And since it was added to the standard package, not even the doctors implementing the change would know that they were doing it.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I know Erica wants this exposed," Daego said, "and she's right. Kiva, we can't keep this secret. This has to be made public."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I agree," Kiva said. "Fortunately, this information will be released with the rest of the timeline. The High Council will try to suppress it, of course, but I think I can render their efforts somewhat ineffective. I just need a little time. Daego, I need you to go through troop records. Use Erica's code to get full access. I need soldiers currently stationed within this sector whose loyalty can be counted on. Get them sent here, then give them scematics for Erica's estate and go over a basic operational plan. Don't tell them anything about who we're after or why, though. I don't want them knowing that until it's time to begin the attack. While you're working on that, I'll get a little program ready that should help counter any efforts by the High Council to suppress the information we'll release. I should be done by the time you are."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Understood."[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]When Kiva stepped through the transport door onto the [i]Transcendence[/i], she immediately took her seat and accessed the data she'd just finished uploading from the abandoned factory Sara had been using. Daego was suprised; normally, not even Kiva got back to work so quickly, and she seemed focused on... something. "What is it?" he asked.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I saw something when I was taking a look through the computers in that factory. A string of data. I recognized the data pattern despite the fact that the string was incomplete, so I hunted around and found all the missing pieces. I want to make sure they're all in the data, that there wasn't a hardware issue in the factory screwing up the data. Let's see... okay, the data string and all its pieces are present, and data grade is normal. All right, now's when things get interesting. Daego, we're returning to sector 1 immediately. Set a course."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"What's going on?" Daego asked as he set the course and the [i]Transcendence[/i] entered hyperspace.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well," Kiva said, "this data string has a... distinctive pattern. I think I've managed to reconstruct it correctly, but we won't be able to get confirmation until we're back in sector 1. And if I'm right, things are going to get very interesting. See, this data string seems to be a code, and not just any code. The length and pattern indicate that it's the personal code of a member of the High Council."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Um... shit," Daego said. "You're sure?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Pretty sure, but accusing a High Council member of treason isn't something to do lightly. Before we make a report, we'll have to be certain that the data string is actually a High Councilor's personal code. We'll also have to determine just whose code it is. Then, I'll want to investigate that individual before making a formal acusation. Only if everything checks out will we report a treason at that level."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]If the code that Kiva had found was indeed a High Councilor's personal code, that meant that a High Councilor was, at the very least, involved in the black market. After all, the code was used in the headquarters of a black market dealer. Kiva remembered that Sara had mentioned a person whose identity and even gender had been concealed. It was possible that this person was the treasonous High Councilor. And that visit had been about the purchace of the organic material the Resistance had used for the explosives, so if that person was the High Councilor, than that would mean that a High Councilor was involved in the Resistance.[/color]

[color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]It had taken a little while, but Kiva had finally found something. Krose himself seemed clean, but Kiva was still convinced that he was involved. And she was correct. She couldn't find anyone Krose was meeting with, but then she checked his co-workers. She found anomalies it the records for one of them, a Sara Jalmor. Her records appeared fine, but when Kiva looked deeper, she found some clever alterations designed to disguise her place of residence. She didn't need to follow the alterations to know what was going on; other sources verified that where Sara lived was a mystery. So Kiva sent one of the [font=Tahoma]Transcendence[/font]'s drones down to follow her.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color][color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Sara took extensive measures to avoid being traced, but she couldn't fool something as advanced as the [font=Tahoma]Transcendence[/font]'s drone. The drone easily kept track of her. But when she reached a seemingly random location, she was gone. However, the drone was able to detect the briefly opened transportation door. And it had also managed to pick up the code Sara used to open the door.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Okay, we've got her," Kiva said. "She's good at covering her tracks, but not good enough. We know where to go and how to get a transportation door. Now we just have to go down there."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva and Daego, outfitted in ordinary Specialist battle armor, stood where Sara had. Using her handheld, Kiva sent the coded signal the drone had detected. The next thing she knew, she and Daego were inside a facility of some kind. [/color][/color][color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]The two of them didn't waste any time. It was likely that a warning buzzer of some kind sounded whenever a transportation door was used, so Sara would know that someone had found her. And Kiva wanted not only Sara, but any electronic records that she might have. This, of course, ment that Sara had to be taken care of before she could destroy any computer equipment.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva and Daego split up. They didn't know anything about where they were, so they had to guess at where Sara would be. Splitting up would allow them to search more quickly. They split immediately after exiting the arrival chamber, Daego running down the corridor to left while Kiva went right.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]It was Kiva who quite literally ran into Sara. Sara came around a corner and ran right smack into Kiva. Sara stumbled backwards, but Kiva remained steady, immediately pointing her gun at Sara. "You lose," she said.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Damn it," Sara swore. "Fine, you got me. I don't know how the hell you found me, though."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Simple. We had a drone on you today. It was close enough to pick up the code you used to signal for the transport door. Now, I recommend you don't try anything, because if you do, you'll find that things will get extremely unpleasant."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva contacted Daego. "Daego, I've got her. I'll handle things here. You ffind and shut down whatever shielding this place has."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Got it," Daego replied.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva terminated communications. "Okay, now I've got a few questions for you, Sara," she said. "First, where exactly are we? We'll be able to pick this place up on sensors as soon as Daego takes down the shields, but I'd rather know now."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"I guess refusing would be pointless," Sara said. "Fine. I don't know the exact location, but it's an old, abandoned factory. When they built the current harvesting factories, the older ones like these became unnecessary. They've all been used for various purposes since then. Some aren't even standing anymore. This one's fine, though. I only run minimal power, so only basic shielding is necessary."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Makes sense. Now, who, if anyone, do you work for?"[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"I... oh, hell, you'll be able to get all this from the computers anyways. I don't work for anyone, really, but I'm not exactly independant either. I operate within a smuggling network. I don't know much besides that, though I've met a couple people involved with it. No point in holding back the names; you'll get those from the computers, too. There was a freighter captian, Jennifer Beckly, and someone she identified only as Chris. He was in an odd-looking cloak. Even his face was covered, so I have no idea what he looks like. There was someone else, too, a third person who never spoke. I never got a name for for the person; I couldn't even tell the gender, what with the heavy clothing he or she was hidden under I don't think even Chris or Jennifer knew who the person was, other than that he or she was the one they were selling to. The merchandise was, well, significant, so I assume the person just wanted to verify that I was running a smooth operation here."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva was a bit surprised, as she knew who Chris had to be. [i]Christopher Hays was here? Well, actually, that might not be out of the question. Beckly was picking up the organic material from Sara; hays might well have wanted to meet this supplier in person.[/i] "So you didn't actually work for anybody," she said. "I assume, then, that you're not part of the Resistance. You did business with them, though, I already know that. I' massuming you've figured out what the organic material you supplied them was used for?"[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Sara nodded. "They never told me, but when I heard about the attacks, it wasn't hard to figure out. I don't care, though. What people do with the stuff I get them isn't my business."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]At that point, Daego contacted Kiva. "Shielding has been disabled," he said.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Good. I'll open a transport door and send Sara up. I assume you know what to do with her."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]"Yes, I do. All right, then. I'll see you back on the ship." He terminated communications.[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Kiva signaled the [i]Transcendence[/i], and a transport door was opened. "Go through," she said to Sara. "You'll end up in a cell on my ship. Daego will come for you shortly, and I suggest you sooperate with him. No get through the door."[/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue][/color][/color] [color=darkslateblue][color=darkslateblue]Sara didn't even try to resist. She just walked through the door, which closed behind her. Kiva wasn't ready to leave the facility quite yet. First, she was going to take a look at the computers. She'd upload all the data to the [i]Transcendence[/i] when she was done, but she wanted to take a look herself first. After all, there just might be something important.[/color][/color]

[color=darkslateblue]Sector 7 was close to sector 1, so getting to sector 7 hadn't taken long, especially with the [i]Transcendence[/i]'s speed. Kiva and Daego had gotten to work almost immediately upon their arrival. Their first step was to personally check the records of all the harvesting factories on the planet where the organic material was taken from. They could do this from orbit; accessing the factories' records was easy. However, these records didn't provide any information. Nothing was amiss with any of them. Kiva checked to make sure that no alterations had been made, and found this to be the case.[/color] [color=#483d8b]What Kiva was doing was beyond Daego, so he'd been going over shipping records, making sure that there were no discrepencies, which their weren't.One of the ship names was familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where he'd heard it. "Hey, Kiva," he said, "are you familiar with a ship named [i]Condor[/i]?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]"The [i]Condor[/i] was here?" Kiva said. She took a look at the shipping records herself, and saw that Daego was right. "So the [i]Condor [/i]was indeed here. That might mean something."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah. I recognize the name from somewhere, but I can't remember where."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"The [i]Condor[/i] was under the command of one Jennifer Beckly. She was considered a particularly law-abiding merchant, but was actually engaged in various smuggling activities. One of her illegal suppliers was Ryan Stevens."[/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego didn't need to hear any more. He knew who Ryan Stevens was, and that Kiva's investigation of him was what led to her discovery of the treason of former Elite Commander Christopher Hays. This, of course, had been Kiva's last assignment before she was made an Elite Speciallist.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Oh yeah," Daego said. "The [i]Condor[/i] was the one you uncovered in your investigation. Well, it looks like the vessel made regular stops here. You think that could be important?"[/color] [color=#483d8b]"It could be. I don't think Beckly was a member of the resistance, but she could very well have done business with them. Okay, I haven't found anything with the factories, but that may not matter. Keep going over the shipping records; I'm going to take a closer look at the [i]Condor[/i]'s entries."[/color] [color=#483d8b]By accessing surveilance records, Kiva was able to see what Beckly did while her ship was in port. Often, she would meet with a man records identified as Telo Klameras, a man who dealt with official millitary shipments such as materials used in weapons. Beckly had often taken on such shipments, so meetings between her and Telo weren't inherently suspicious. It wasn't unusual for merchants to deal with the same people multiple times, but normally crew members handled things after the first couple transactions, and none of Beckly's crew members ever met with Telo. Only Beckly herself did, and frequently enough that the man warrented further investigation. So Kiva got access to his personal records, stored by the sector government. His records didn't reveal much, but they did point Kiva in the right direction.[/color] [color=#483d8b]Telo, it seemed, had a twin brother named Krose, a field worker for one of the harvesting factories. The two actually lived together, a fact which could very well be significant. Personal residences usually didn't have survielance systems, so Kiva couldn't verify this, but she suspected that Krose was obtaining the organic material from the field and passing it on to Telo.[/color] [color=#483d8b]"Daego, I think I may have something," Kiva said. "I've got a suspicious pair here, a Telo Klameras and his twin brother, Krose. Telo's a millitary shipping coordinator who's met personally with Jennifer Beckly on several occasions, and Krose is a field worker at one of the harvesting factories. I think he's obtaining the organic material from the field and passing it on to Telo, who would pass it on to Beckly. I don't have proof, but I have enough for suspicion. Still, I doubt those two are who we want. They're probably looking for someone else, and we need to know who. My guess is, Telo wouldn't have had much contact with this person, so we'll start with Krose. Contact local authorities. I want full access to all records and surveilance data for Krose. And I mean full access. I want literally everything."[/color] [color=#483d8b]"On it," Daego said. Kiva could have hacked into the records and obtained them that way, but there was no reason to when she had the authority as an Elite Specialist to get them sent to her. She was hoping that these records would give her something more to go on, something that would point her to whoever was actually running the operation Krose and Telo were participants in.[/color]

Okay, my post's up. Remember, it takes place a few days before Indifference's.

[color=darkslateblue]Kiva was already on board the [i]transcendence[/i] when Daego arrived. "Hey, Kiva," he said. "How was your break?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Enjoyable," Kiva said. "It was certain;y nice to have a little time off. How about you?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I... well, I needed it. Some things were starting to get to me."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]It wasn't hard for Kiva to guess what had been troubling Daego. "Still upset by that mind-alteration research?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Yeah. Anyways, we're back on duty now, so let's get to work. I assume we have a new assignment."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Indeed. The orders were waiting when I got here. We're to proceed immediately to sector 7. It seems that the explosives used in the Resistance's recent attacks were of the highest grade. I'm sure you know what that means."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Organic material would be required. For the highest-grade explosives, only the natural stuff would work. Synthetics don't produce the same level of output. The organic material used in such weapons is from a plant that grows only on one world in sector 7. I assume that all records have been checked."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"That's correct," Kiva said. "Nothing was amiss. The organic material is, of course, shipped from sector 7 to sector 1 to be used in producion of the weapons. Records on both ends were checked, and there were no discrepencies. Weapons records were checked as well, and no such explosives are unaccounted for. Which means that whoever got the materials beat the security on at least one end. The security around the actual weapons is the tightest, and since none are missing, it's assumed that the Resistance got their hands on the organic material and constructed the weapons themselves.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Now, since there are no discrepencies in any of the shipment records, the organic material was probably taken in sector 7, before load sizes were finalized. Of course, harvesting records show no discrepencies, not even when compared to shipping records, so whoever's behind this most likely has contacts within one or more harvesting factories.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Our assignment is to determine how the Resistance obtained the organic material. We're to proceed to sector 7 and investigate. Our first targets will be the harvesting factories. It's most likely that that's where the organic material was taken, as doing it any later would've been more complicated. If we find nothing at any of the factories, we'll have to think of something else, but we can deal with that if the need arises. Anyways, let's get going."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I'll set a course," Daego said. "Oh, I did get your message about having met with Erica. Did she get us the Silver One program?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes. I found it waiting along with our orders. I'll analyze it while we're en route."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"All right, then. Let's get going." Daego set a course to sector 7, and the [i]Transcendence[/i] was underway.[/color]

No problems here. You'll probably post before I do, but I'll just post Kiva and Daego leaving for sector 7 and then jump ahead to the 'present' time like I've done before.

[color=#483d8b]Daego was not having a relaxing vacation. It was physically relaxing, but mentally, it was a far different story. He'd always been somewhat conflicted, ever since that day... had it really been five years since then? Five years ago, the Resistance had attempted to recruit him. He knew why they'd chosen him, of course; his views matched those of the Resistance, and he didn't exactly keep them private. The Resistance would have known that he agreed with them. But he'd refused. He'd reported the contact immediately, but as usual the Resistance had been careful not to reveal anything that could be used against them. Daego didn't even get a clear look at the man. Hell, he didn't even know for certain that it had been a man. It'd sounded like a man's voice, but that could've been faked.[/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego'd refused to join the Resistance because even though he agreed with their ideals, he dissagreed with their goals. Daego saw the Resistance as idealists. They were working towards an ideal society, but Daego was enough of a realist to understand that such a society would never happen. Sure, the lesser races were resctricted to the point of oppression, but they had to be controlled, and currently, that was the only practical and effective method, although the research in sector 14 could change that.[/color] [color=#483d8b]There were good and bad sides to pretty much everything. Daego knew that the objective of the second project in sector 14 was to develop a way to subdue the lesser races, so that it would no longer be necessary to forcibly oppress them. He was in favor of this, but he considered the bad side of the research to be too large a price. The potential existed for a complete mental rewrite-mind control, basically. The ability to make anyone think or do anything. This potential scared Daego, because he knew that if the technology existed, it would be misuesed. Technology was always misused, and a mind alteration interface would be, too. It would be only a matter of time.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego was not going to join the Resistance, not yet. He thought they were wrong, even though they shared the same ideals. However, he knew that the Empire wasn't perfect. He simply didn't know what to do. He didn't want to just sit back and let something like the mind alteration recearch happen, but there wasn't anything he could do. Not even the Resistance exposing the research had worked, although Daego had to admit that they didn't do the best job of it. To do it properly, the exposure would have to include details the Resistance hadn't had. Also, the Resistance was an easily discredited source. An individual was also easily discredited, which Daego had to admit to himself was really the only reason he hadn't already exposed the information. If he thought he could effectively expose it, he'd do so even at his own expence, but he just didn't have a workable method. If he saw an opportunity, he would take it, but he didn't consider such an opportunity to be likely to present itself.[/color]

Well, I'm not quite sure how much longer it took the Tempest to arrive, but I'd guess that Kiva and Daego still have a couple days of vacation left. And as to the stuff Erica told her, well, you'll learn what it was soon enough.

[color=darkslateblue][i]Well, so much for not needing to know[/i], Kiva thought. It was clear that Erica's plan to expose herself was how she would divert attention from William. Kiva'd wondered if this would happen, but she never thought she'd be the one to do it. But she understood why she had to do it, and she didn't have anyquestions. "No, I've got all the information I need," she said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good," Erica said. "In that case, this discussion is over. Let's get to the official reason for this meeting."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded, returning to her Imperal self. "Nothing was unusual in the capture of Jason and Celestia. We just got lucky. Thanks to the power surge from the drone, the base had warning a few minutes in advance. However, it seems that when our drones blew, the security doors were triggered. It looked like Jason and Celestia were trapped by the doors. Upon investigation, it was determined that a drone blew the security relays. This is what triggered the doors, and it also prevented their release. With no other option, Jason and Celestia retreates the the command center. They presumably intended to open an escape route, but we moved in and were able to cut them off. They then moved into the conference room where we found them, deleted the contents of their handhelds, and remained there until we found them.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Now, while in transit from sector 13, Daego was able to get some information from them. He spent much of the time exploring the details of the program Silver One, which I understand was what drew the Council's attention to them in the first place. I would like to request that a copy of this program be sent to the [i]Transcendence[/i]. Such a program wouldn't have any real security, so it'd be easy to take apart and examine. And since Jason and Celestia seem to be behind most of the Resistance's programming, any knowledge I can get of their styles would be very useful."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Erika nodded. "I think I can do that."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]The discussion continued, with Erica asking various questions and Kiva answering them in detail. There wasn't a single mention of the Resistance; neither of them were in their Resistance roles. Kiva was an Elite Speciallist, and Erica was an inactive member of the High Council.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]After the meeting, Kiva left Erica's estate and returned to the hotel. She picked out a couple activities for the next day, then got herself ready for bed and promptly went to sleep.[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]Kiva'd spent her first day on Reflection doing some basic sightseeing. She'd returned to her room at the hotel briefly before heading down to the place's resturant for dinner. She checked for messages, and was suprised to find two waiting for her. The first one she'd expected. It was from Daego, in responce to the message she'd sent that morning. She'd simply told Daego that she'd arrived, and she'd described the, as she put it, 'exessive fanciness' of the hotel. Yes, it was an expensive place, but Kiva still found it a bit ridiculous. Daego agreed with her. He was staying at a much more moderate hotel. It was still a nice place, but not nearly as exessive as the one Kiva was at.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]It was the second message that surprised Kiva. This message was from Erika Kendrick, which was a name Kiva immediately recognized. Erica was on the High Council. She was very ill, so she hadn't participated in any actual Council sessions recently, but she was still very much an active member of the High Council.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]The subject of Erica's message didn't really surprise Kiva. Erica wanted to meet with Kiva in person, in regards to Jason and Celestia. This kind of thing was standard when a highly wanted individual was captured, and Jason and Celestia certainly qualified for that. Kiva'd expected a meeting with a Councilor, but not until her vacation was over. But it turned out that Erica was currently at her estate on Reflection, so she'd probably learned that Kiva would be spending her vacation on Reflection and decided that this was a good opportunity to meet with her.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Included in the message was a list of times when Erica was able to meet with Kiva. Kiva could choose which one to take. She saw that one slot was just that evening. [i]Well, why not? Might as well make this a dinner meeting.[/i] She replied, saying that she'd take that slot. She then got directions to the estate, made sure she was dressed properly, then set out.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]As Kiva was led into the room, she saw that Erika was there waiting for her, and the food had already been served. "Hello, Kiva," Erika said. She remained seated, and Kiva took her seat. The man who'd escorded her in exited the room, closing the door behind him.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Thir room is completely secure," Erica said. "There's no surveilance in here, and with the entrance sealed, it's soundproof."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva'd expected this. Councilors were almost always under survielance, but they all had places that were truly private. Meetings such as this one often took place in such areas, especially unofficial meetings such as this one. That way, there would be no official record, so all parties could speak their minds without worrying that it might come back to haunt them.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"[i]Hekalu matac-er kamas sil[/i]," Erica said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva was stunned. The phrase Erica had said did have a meaning; the words were from an old Versilan language. However, the phrase's true meaning was much different, and hearing Erica say it took Kiva completely by surprise. She did, however, know how to reply, which she did basically automatically. "[i]Kalma erastu simik li gerufe.[/i]" She and Erika continued exchanging phrases for almost a minute, until the full sequence had been completed.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]There were times when Resistance leaders wanted to meet with agents in person. For such occasions, a complex verbal code was used for both people to verify their identities. It was unlikely that the Empire would ever manage to learn a complete set, and even if they did, each agent had a unique set, so it would be of only limited use. Kiva and Erika had exchanged Kiva's set of codes.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Okay, this is a surprise," Kiva said when the exchange was finished. "Shit, and I thought I'd made it pretty high up in the Empire."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes, it could be said that I'm in a somewhat higher position," Erica said, "but having one in your position is still very useful. For example, even I didn't know what the third research project in sector 14 was until I got your information from William."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva picked up the implication in that last sentence. "So, William's not the head of the Resistance, then. I suspected as much. His name's know by too many people in the Resistance, so I thought there was someone else."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Erica nodded. "Correct. Leading the Resistance has been my role. Has been, actually. Thanks to this illness, I can no longer fill that role. I passed it on to William recently. I know it's a risk, but I will be taking measures to lessen the risk."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva didn't ask what these measures were. She didn't need to know, and it was an unnecessary risk to give an agent unneeded information. "So, I assume the real reason you wanted to meet with me has to do with my role as a resistance agent," she said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Correct," Erika said. "We'll discuss Jason and Celestia later, when we're once again our Imperial selves. For now, our focus will be on something different."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=black]------------------------------------------------------[/color] OOC: Take it from here, SunfallE.

[color=darkslateblue]"Interesting," Daego said when Jason was finished. "I suppose you could be lying, but what you said does fit with what I already know. And I have seen how skilled you two are, so I suppose it all checks out. I would, however, like to hear more about this 'Sliver One' program."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"There's nothing more to say," Jason said. "It was just a game. I already told you that Celestia didn't know of the similarities to reality when she designed it."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes, but I'd still like to hear more. How is the game set up? What tactics do the invaders use? How is the invasio carried out? Basically, I want you do describe the game to me in detail. Now, please begin."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, it does fit with millitary protocall," Kiva said. "That's definitely how the millitary conducts invasions. The technology is accurate, as well. I can only assume that the knowledge wasn't completely erased from Celestia's mind. What was lost seems to be the connection to reality. Without that, the knowledge must have seemed to be the product of her imagination. She had it, but she didn't know it was real."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Interesting," Daego said. "I wonder if we could get a copy of this program?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, we can try. We might be able to get it from the High Council. I'd certainly love to have a copy. Jason and Celestia seem to be the technological brains of the Resistance. Understanding their programming style would help me crack the Resistance's systems,and games aren't exactly highly-encrypted programs. I'll have to request a copy when we reach sector 1."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"We're ready to send," Kiva said. "Give us the destination."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]The [i]Transcendence[/i] had arrived in sector 1 and had passed through standard security without problems. A Council vessel, the [i]Arbiter[/i], had moved into orbit alongside the [i]Transcendence[/i]. This vessel was there to receive Jason and Celestia. When the vessel send the proper codes, Kiva opened a transport door. Daego, who was at their cell, ordered them to enter it, and they complied.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Okay, we've got them," the [i]Arbiter[/i]'s pilot said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Confirmed," Kiva said. "Will their be anything else?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes. Have you reached a decision in regards to Kim?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Upon arrival in sector 1, Kiva and Daego had received a transmission in regards to Kim. They'd been asked if they intended to keep her. Kiva and Daego had decided that she would no longer be of much use. Daego'd goten everything out of her that he'd be able to, and with the bases on Earth destroyed, Kim's knowledge of the Resistance's operation there was no longer useful.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"We no longer have need of her," Kiva said. "Should we send her to you?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Affirmative."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Okay," Kiva said. She contacted Daego. "Daego, the [i]Arbiter[/i] wants Kim, too. Make sure she goes through." She opened a door in Kim's cell, and before long she'd gone through.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"All right, we've got her," the [i]Arbiter [/i]replied. "Dock at station 3, hanger B. Upon proper securing of your ship, your time off will begin."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Understood," Kiva said. "[i]Transcendence [/i]out."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]As Kiva and Daego had exceeded expectations, they had been given a week's vacation. This came on top of the regular leave time, and unlike standard leave, this would be a paid vacation. Daego planned to spend his time on the main world, while Kiva was going to spend her time on Reflection. She'd always wanted to visit the place, but it was just too expensive. But with the bounty for Jason and Celestia, paying for the trip would be no problem at all.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]After docking and securing the [i]Transcendence[/i], Kiva and Daego exited the ship. "Well, I guess this is where we split up," Kiva said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Yeah. Well, I'll see you in a week, then."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah, see you then," Kivca said. She and Daego went their seperate ways. They'd return to the [i]Transcendence[/i] in a week, but until then, they'd just enjoy their break.[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]As predicted, it wasn't long at all before a reply from the High Council arrived. Kiva and Daego were ordered to bring Jason and Celestia to sector 1 as quickly as possible.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well, I can't say I'm surprised by this," Daego said. "Of course the Council wants these two in sector one. With a bounty as high as theirs, they have to be more important than we know."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Yeah, you got that right. Shit, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with the money I'll get from this. Even with you getting half, it's still a huge sum."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Indeed. I'd just love to know what's so important about those two."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Well,they seem to have managed to delete everything on their handhelds. I'll see if I can recover anything, but we probably won't learn much from those. But maybe Jason and Celestia themselves could tell us. We'll have to turn them over to the High Council when we reach sector 1, but we might just be able to get something out of them while in transit."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"That's true. Of course, we could just ask about it when we arrive."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah," Kiva said, "but there's no garuntee we'd get a response. And even if we did, it could be incomplete, or it could be bullshit. And even if it's complete and accurate, it'd probably still be enlightening to hear what Jason and Celestia have to say about it."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"True. Okay, I'm assuming that'll be my job."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes, seeing as how you seem to enjoy it."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I don't," Daego said. "I know why we're doing it, but I still don't like it. But I have to admit that it's fun to play the bad guy, even if I don't like what the bad guy does. So yes, I do enjoy at least a part of it. And even if I didn't, I'd still do it"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"All right, then. You take care of that. In fact, why don't you go get started? I'll put us on course for sector 1."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego opened the cell door and immediately had his gun trained on Jason and Celestia. "Hello there, you two. Nice to see you're awake."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Who are you?" Jason asked.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"I see no reason to tell you that. Now, you're going to come with me. If either of you refuses or tries anything, I'll stun you both and carry you, and I assure you that if I have to do that, your experience will be a lot less pleasant. In a way, I hope you do try something. I'd particularly enjoy an excuse to spend some time with you, Celestia. Anyways, let's get going."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego took the pair to the interrogation room. Standing orders regarding Jason and Celestia included that they were to be kept together, and Daego was extending that to interrogations. Instead of the usual one seat, there were now two of them in the room, both with full interrogation equipment. Daego secured Jason and Celestia in the chairs.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"You may already know this," Daego said to the pair, "but the bounty on you two is the largest there's ever been, and I'd really like to know why. Your handhelds gave me some information, but I'd like to hear what you two have to say about it." The part about the handhelds was a lie, of course, but Jason and Celstia didn't need to know that. After all, a little misinformation could often help an interrogation along.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"If you answer my questions," Daego continued, "then this will be easy and painless. But if you refuse to do so, then you will find this to be most unpleasant. For your sakes, I suggest you be cooperative. Now, let's get started."[/color]

[color=darkslateblue]The command center was sealed by the time the team got there, but that didn't hold them up for long. Daego blew up the doors, and he and Kiva followed the team into the command center. The computers had been destroyed, but there was nobody in the command center. There was a conference room sealed off, though. Daego blew a hole in the door, and he and Kiva antered the room.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]There were two people in the room. Kiva's guns were on stun, and she shot both people immediately. It was only afterwards that she bothered to look over the pair. She quickly realized that they were Jason and Celestia. "Excellent," she said. "Looks like we will be getting some important prisoners out of this.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah," Daego said. "These two are certainly a good find."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva grabbed her communicator and contacted team B. "Team B, this is Kiva," she said. "What's your status?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Transportation area is secure," team B's leader replied. "Team C reports success in taking the shields down. They've joined team A in sweeping the base. All charges have been placed. We can blow the base as soon as we've swept it."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good," Kiva said. "Any sign of Daniel? We know he was in charge here."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"He went through a transport door just as we had him in our sights."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Damn. Well, you did what you could. Continue as planned." She turned to Daego. "Okay, Daniel escaped, but we do have Jason and Celestia. The High Council will want to know as soon as possible. You take them back up to the [i]Transcendence[/i]. I'll be there as soon as I'm done down here."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Got it," Daego said. He signaled a transportation door, throwing Jason and Celestia into it. They were relayed directly to a cell. Standing orders regarding them said that if captured, they were to be kept together, so they were both depositied in the same cell. Daego closed that transport door and signaled for another one, which took him to the [i]Transcendence[/i]'s bridge. Kiva gathered up the remains of the base's computers, then followed him through the door, which closed behind her.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Message sent," Daego said as Kiva emerged on the bridge. "We'll probably be getting a reply shortly."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yeah, no kidding." Kiva said. Nobody had a bounty higher than that of Jason and Celestia. Daniel may have escaped, but the pair's capture would hurt the Resistance, not to mention their last base had been destroyed. Things in sector 13 would go much more smoothly now.[/color]

And the attack has begun. Well, almost. Thanks to Kiva, the Resistance has a little bit of advance warning. Anyways, now it's time for some fun.

[color=darkslateblue]Daego could see Kim's suprise as she entered the interrogation room and saw what was there. In front of the usual chair was a desk with an image pad on it. Image pads, as their name implied, were only for working with and displaying images. They coulsn't be used for anything else, so it was safe to allow Kim to use one. And she would need it, because this time Daego needed more than just a verbal response.[/color] [color=darkslateblue][/color] [color=darkslateblue]"I need you to do more than just talk today," Daego said as he secured Kim in the chair. "As you can see, that image pad is displaying a layout map. I assume that you can figure out what it's a map of, right?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes," Kim said. "It's one of our bases."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Correct. However, as you can see, the map is incomplete. There are a few blank spots, and I want you to fill those in. Complete the map."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Just what makes you think I remember the base's layout well enough to draw a map? You know how long I've been here for."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Yes, and I don't expect perfection, but I think you remember enough to do a decent job. So how about you get started?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Any luck?" Kiva said as Daego returned to the bridge.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"It's not perfect," Daego said, "but I think Kim did a good enough job. I loaded the completed image into the computer when she finished."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Good." Back when Kim had just been captured, Kiva had managed to recover most of a map from the remains of her handheld. It had appeared to be a map of a Resistance base, but neither the Australia base nor the UK base's layouts had matched the map, so Kiva had assumed that it was a map of the US base. There were a few blank spots on the map, as Kiva hadn't been able to recover the entire file from the damaged handheld, but with those spots filled in by Kim, it would be more than sufficient for Kiva's needs.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Daego displayed the map. It was pretty easy to identify where the transportation area was located. It was further inside the base, not near the outside, so an entrence at that area wasn't possible. Instead, Kiva and Daego used the map to identify the best areas to enter from in order to block access to it as soon as possible. With that information, they were ready to begin the attack.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]As with the UK base, the US base would be accessed by digging tunnels to the base and blowing holes in the wall. However, it was likely that the sensors had been modified to flag a disturbance of the level that would create, so stealth was being abandoned. When it was time for the assult to begin, the drones would dig their tunnels at full speed. When they reached the base, they were programmed to trigger the explosives they carried, making holes in the base's walls. The assult force would then transport into the tunnels and enter the base.The entry points had been selected to allow the cutting off of access to the transportation area as quickly as possible. Three teams would do that, while the fourth team, along with Kiva and Daego, would enter as close to the command center as possible and proceed there immediately. This base wouldn't be taken completely off-guard, but if all went as planned, the Resistance wouldn't have much time to react before the assult force entered.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]The assult force was divided into four teams, one per tunnel. The drones were underground and standing by. The troops had just assembled and were proceeding with equipment checks. When they were ready, the drones would be signaled to activate.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Kiva's handheld began emmitting a loud alarm noise. Kiva rabbed it and checked to see what the problem was. "Shit!"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"What's the problem?" Daego said.[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"Drone C just had a power surge. It's still functional, and the bombs are fine, but there's no way the base's sensors would have missed it, and that kind of thing would definitely be flagged. Every alarm in the place'll be going off now."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"What do we do?" team C's leader asked? "Should we move in now?"[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"No," Daego said. "We can't break procedure."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]"He's right," Kiva said. "Everyone, finish your equipment checks as quickly as possible. We no longer have the time to replace gear, so anyone with malfunctions in essential gear stays behind. Everyone else goes in. I'm activating the drones now. The tunnels'll be there when we're ready. As soon as all teams have completed equipment checks, we move."[/color] [color=#483d8b][/color] [color=#483d8b]Drone C's malfunction had been deliberate. The Resistance agent Kiva had caused it, triggering the base's alarm before the assult force was ready. This would give the Resistance a little more time to evacuate. The Imperial operative Kiva could only hope that some of the higher-ups would still be there when the assult force entered. Hopefully, they would still be able to come out of this with some important prisoners.[/color]